


Make This Place Our Home

by ByTheAngell (SomeLittleInfamy)



Series: Flufftober 2019 [22]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 17:16:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21140321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/pseuds/ByTheAngell
Summary: The more time Hodge spends around the Lightwood children, the more difficult it is for him to hold his resentment of their parents against them.





	Make This Place Our Home

**Author's Note:**

> Flufftober Day 22: Home

It’s no secret that the New York Institute isn’t a place Hodge imagined himself ending up, and certainly not under these conditions. At first he’s determined to hold his grudge against the entire Lightwood family, but that’s until he ends up with the task of training, and essentially raising, Alec and Isabelle during the times both of their parents are too busy to be around. Hodge, on the other hand, has no where else to go. 

The more time he spends around the Lightwood children, the more difficult it is for him to hold his resentment of their parents against them. 

Alec, as it turns out, is the easiest to get along with. Eager to please, it isn’t difficult to get him to follow the rules and work harder than all of the other students. Archery isn’t Hodge’s strong suit - in fact, he hasn’t seen a student choose a bow and arrow over a sword for as long as he’s been a Shadowhunter, but when Alec takes to the weapon above all others it’s a learning experience for both of them. 

Hodge learns as much as he teaches, reading up in the library on tried and true methods only to have Alec come home from gallivanting about the streets of Brooklyn with some new trick he created in the moment while facing a demon in an alleyway - skills bred out of necessity rather than studied technique. 

When Alec turns 7 they hold a competition between the two of them, with the wager being cake for dinner if Alec wins. Hodge lets him win that time (_ it is his birthday, after all, and he is just a kid) _, but they keep the competition up once a month for the remainder of the year, each month with a different bet. Hodge wins as often as he loses, but Alec’s never bitter over the losses. Instead he takes them in stride and trains that much harder. The pride Hodge feels when Alec barely has to try to beat him overshadows the embarrassment of being beaten by an 8 year old… for the most part, at least. 

\---

When they take in the Wayland boy Hodge finds it difficult to distance himself emotionally because he sees so much of himself in Jace. There’s an anger there, one that can be harnessed and put to good use or one that will run rampant and destroy the lives it touches. He’s a broken boy full of pain, and for a while it’s nearly impossible to reach him besides the detached training they do, going through the motions. 

One day, when Jace is late for a practice they were supposed to have, Hodge finds him playing the piano. Jace immediately assumes he’s in trouble for missing the start of his lesson but Hodge waves it off, much more interested in hearing him play. Jace reluctantly continues until he makes a mistake, flinches away, and waits expectantly. 

“That was really good,” Hodge says, and Jace looks more confused than anything. 

“I messed up.” Jace points out. 

“So? Nobody’s perfect. And nobody here expects you to never make a mistake.” He knows that he can be hard on the kids but he likes to think he doesn't set impossible standards. 

Jace, who is only ten years old, seems confused by this permission to not be perfect, but he nods, and starts playing again where he messed up. 

The next time Jace misses a note and looks up to see the smile still on Hodge’s face, Jace actually smiles back. 

After a few weeks Hodge dusts off his old musical theory knowledge and accompanies, making his fair share of mistakes as well, but mostly keeping up with Jace’s natural skill. 

When Hodge misses a note and grimaces, Jace stops playing to look up at him and say - with the faintest hint of a smirk - “Hey, don’t worry, nobody’s perfect.” 

Hodge laughs first but Jace follows quickly after, and Hodge knows he’s going to be just fine. 

\---

Isabelle’s barely a teenager when she starts wearing heels. Hodge knows for a fact that Robert would absolutely hate the idea if he were ever around enough to notice, and Maryse makes the off-handed comment to him that he should point out how dangerous they are if she ever gets attacked while she’s wearing them - and Hodge has to admit that Maryse has a point, even if she’s making it the wrong way. Unfortunately, all it takes is one confrontation with her mother before Izzy swears off flat shoes entirely, just to be stubborn. 

The next time Hodge sees her wearing heels in the hallway he stops her. 

“Isabelle, do you have a few minutes to meet me in the training room?” He asks, and when she says she does he motions for her to follow. 

Once they’re inside he throws a seraph blade to her and motions for her to attack. 

“Shouldn’t I change first?” She asks, motioning to her tight jeans and high heels. 

“Nope. If that’s what you want to wear every day then I’m going to teach you to fight in it. Clearly you’re not going to stop wearing them, and it’s my job to make you as prepared as possible. So from now on you train in heels.” Hodge shrugs. It’s such a simple, common sense decision that he doesn't even have to think twice about it, but Izzy looks at him in disbelief before closing the space between them and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. 

“Thank you, Hodge,” she says. “I won’t let you down.” 

Maryse is going to kill him, he’s certain of it, but for now he couldn’t care less. 

\---

It’s Christmas Eve, the Institute is quiet, and Maryse and Robert are away in Idris on business that they insisted on leaving the children behind for despite the holiday. The kids act fine with it but he knows them too well by now to believe it. In fact, they’ve done nothing but mope about the Institute all day. 

“Everyone grab a coat and meet me at the entrance in five minutes,” Hodge announces loudly, refusing to answer any more questions after that.

Once they’re all gathered he hands out gloves - proper gloves, the kind meant to keep you warm in the winter rather than the fingerless ones they normally take on missions to make sure they can properly handle weapons. 

“Is this a test?” Alec asks dubiously. “Because I don’t think even _ I _ can wield a bow properly in these.” 

“No. You do know there are reasons to go outside that aren’t to kill things, right?” Hodge points out. 

“Tell that to our parents,” Isabelle mutters under her breath. 

“I won’t - which is why this snowball fight is just for us.” Hodge starts, already walking outside and fully expecting the Alec, Jace, and Izzy to follow. “We’ll call it training - there’s strategy, after all. Aiming. Dodging.” 

“Weapon building?” Jace offers with a smirk, picking up a handful of snow from the top step, starting to shape it into a ball in his hands. 

Hodge smirks back. “Precisely. We’re going to have _ fun _, because you’re children and it’s snowing on Christmas Eve.” 

Alec and Izzy seem slightly hesitant, but it only lasts a few seconds before Alec catches a snowball to the back from Jace. 

“Hey!” Alec says, immediately losing any reservations before dipping his own hands into the snow. 

It isn’t long before Izzy follows close behind, except her snowball is aimed at him instead of her brothers and Hodge barely manages to twist out of the way fast enough to dodge. 

He knows this isn’t his family. He knows this isn’t the home he imagined for himself so many years ago... 

...but maybe the Institute, and the people inside, could feel a little more like home if he lets it. And since he’ll be here a while, he might as well welcome the feeling.

**Author's Note:**

> (Find me on [Tumblr](http://bytheangell.tumblr.com) and also on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/By_The_Angell)! <3 )


End file.
